


Lover and a Fighter

by Sotheylived



Series: Waitress [2]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2015-09-04
Packaged: 2018-04-19 01:21:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4727417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sotheylived/pseuds/Sotheylived
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU Killian and Emma get into a huge fight and Emma is worried how Henry will take it.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lover and a Fighter

**Author's Note:**

> So this ended up taking forever. Takes place after the events of the waitress.

 

Their first real fight since they started dating began innocently enough; she’d commented on how timid he seemed around her - wary that if he reached for her too quickly she’d bolt and it only spiraled and gained momentum from there.

“It’s rather hard to be confident when you’ve denied even so much as a friendship with me for so long,” he’d said, and though his voice wasn’t biting - the words still stung.

She clenched her hands into fists and her words were laced with bitterness when she spoke. “So what? It’s my fault that  _you_  are having - having,” she sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, “relationship issues?”

His previously calm demeanor evaporated. “ _I_ am not the one with  _relationship issues_ ,” he said bitingly, his tone making it clear exactly who between them had the problem. “I’m not the one who kept my friend at an arm’s length from my son for  _months.”_

She knew they were only making the argument worse - but she couldn’t let him get the final word in. “Henry’s _not yours_ Killian, you have no obligation to him - so what happens when we break up and you’re not around anymore? What am I supposed to tell my son?”

His jaw was tight and his voice cracked when he spoke. “I’m here Emma, I’m all in. You don’t need to worry about what to tell Henry when I’m not around anymore because I’m around and I’m going to continue to be around unless you throw me out of your lives.”

“You can’t make promises like that,” she said. “What if we break up?”

“What if we don’t?”

“What if we do?” she countered, resignation heavy in her voice. She refused to look at him, eyes watching her hands clench and relax at her sides.

He sighed heavily and stepped forward reaching for her. He placed a gentle hand on her arm, “even if we did - even if we did break up, I’d still be there for Henry.” He paused and took a fortifying breath, “I’d still be there for you.”

Emma heard a muffled sound from down the hall and looked back over her shoulder towards Henry’s room.

“I think you should go,” she said ignoring the pressure of tears welling in her eyes. He stepped towards her as if to comfort her but she shook her head and stepped back. “Before we wake Henry.”

He looked like he wanted to argue, but eventually nodded and left.

She has trouble falling asleep that night, anger and resentment, and  _sadness_ thrumming in her veins, choking her lungs and she wants to scream. The only thing that stops her is the fear of waking Henry.

She’s not sure if they’re broken up or not and she tosses and turns all night with worry that they are. And it’s only when the first spindly fingers of dawn creep through her window that sleep finally claims her.

She wakes with tear tracks on her cheeks and decides she’s not going to waste one more minute being sad - she’ll be pissed instead. She’s pissed at herself for falling for him, pissed that they let the fight get so out of hand, pissed that she let him weasel his way into both their lives.

She can just picture Henry waking up in a few minutes, and Killian not showing up to take him to work - and of course their fight would fall on the night before the bring your son to work day at Killian’s company. Henry’ll be crushed, she knows, and it’s  _her_ fault.

And of course, of course she’s upset about their fight or breakup or whatever it was the night before, but she never wanted to hurt her son and the knowledge that her son will cry for his daddy - one who isn’t even his father at all and has no reason to stick around once they’ve broken up - is what hurts most of all. 

Henry’s still sleeping once she drags herself out of bed and gets ready for the day, and she wishes that he’d keep right on sleeping so she won’t have to explain where Killian is - and why he’s not with them. She’s just finishing pulling on her shirt when there’s a knock at the door. 

She’s not sure what she expects, but Killian standing there clad in a suit that screams business casual is not it. 

“Killian?” Emma says startled. “What’re you doing here?”

He scratches behind his ear sheepishly but his gaze is almost challenging. “I’m here to pick the lad up.” 

“I know,” Emma says, “but I thought - after last night - ”

“I made a promise to Henry and as I’ve told you I’m a man of my word.” 

Even though his words are of promises and obligation, Emma realizes in that moment that the love this man feels for her son is not just through her, but something real and fierce, formed all on its own. 

Just then Henry comes careening into the living room, nearly tripping over pajama pants he insists on wearing even though they’re at least two sizes too big. Killian’s face lights up when he spots Henry and Emma’s heart softens -just a little. He crouches down to greet him and Henry runs at full force into his arms before Killian scoops him up. 

It’s as if Emma is finally finally seeing him clearly for the first time. She  _knows_  this man, knows that he is the sort of man that will stick around for her son no matter what happens between them. The sort of man who wouldn’t just be there for birthdays and graduation, but for school plays and baseball games, for broken legs and first dates. The sort of man who would stick around for a child that’s not even his. 

But it doesn’t have to be that way, she has been so stupid not to see. He doesn’t have to be an every other weekend sort of father figure for her son. He _wants_  to be there for him, he wants to be there for them. He just doesn’t want to be constantly wondering if today will be the day Emma decides to kick him out of both of their lives.

She’s been so stubborn, but no more, she decides in that moment. She’s going to be all in, dive head first into loving him - and if she’s being honest with herself, she’s already more than halfway there. She can feel a slow smile creep onto her face unbidden. Even though Henry’s head is nestled in Killian’s neck, his gaze is fixed steadily on hers. He smiles slow and sweet, a peace offering that Emma’s more than inclined to accept.

And as she watches Killian tip Henry upside down with Henry’s giggles filling the silence, she can’t help but think that maybe, Henry is Killian’s after all.


End file.
